Medical image processing apparatus and medical observation system

Abstract

A memory controller 931 , in a first observation mode, writes a first captured image into a first memory area of a memory 92 , reads first to fourth divided images obtained by dividing the first captured image from first to fourth divided areas of the first memory area, respectively, and outputs the first to fourth divided images to image processing units 932 to 935 , respectively, and in a second observation mode, writes the first and second captured images into second and third memory areas, respectively, each having the same memory capacity as that of each of the divided areas in the memory 92 , respectively, reads the first and second captured images from the second and third memory areas, respectively, and outputs the first and second captured images to two image processing units 932 and 933 , respectively.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A medical image processing apparatus comprising:
 a memory that temporarily stores an image; 
 circuitry configured to: 
 acquire a first captured image obtained by capturing light from an observation target that emits fluorescence when irradiated with excitation light in a second wavelength band different from a first wavelength band and is irradiated with light in the first wavelength band; 
 acquire a second captured image obtained by capturing the fluorescence from the observation target irradiated with the excitation light; 
 switch between a first observation mode and a second observation mode; and 
 control writing of an image into the memory and reading of an image from the memory; and 
 a plurality of image processing circuits that execute image processing in parallel on each input image, wherein 
 the circuitry, 
 in the first observation mode, writes the first captured image into a first memory area in the memory, reads a plurality of divided images obtained by dividing the first captured image into a number corresponding to a number of the image processing circuits from a plurality of divided areas in the first memory area, respectively, in which the plurality of divided images is written, respectively, and outputs the plurality of divided images to the plurality of image processing circuits, respectively, and 
 in the second observation mode, writes the first captured image and the second captured image into a second memory area and a third memory area, respectively, each having a same memory capacity as a memory capacity of each of the divided areas in the memory, reads the first captured image and the second captured image from the second memory area and the third memory area, respectively, and outputs the first captured image and the second captured image into two image processing circuits of the plurality of image processing circuits, respectively. 
 
     
     
       2. The medical image processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the image processing circuits execute first image processing when the divided images or the first captured image is input and execute second image processing different from the first image processing when the second captured image is input. 
 
     
     
       3. The medical image processing apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the first image processing includes digital gain processing for multiplying a pixel value in the divided images or the first captured image by a first digital gain to amplify the pixel value, and 
 the second image processing includes digital gain processing for multiplying a pixel value in the second captured image by a second digital gain different from the first digital gain to amplify the pixel value. 
 
     
     
       4. The medical image processing apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the first image processing includes image enhancement processing for enhancing an image with first intensity for the divided images or the first captured image, and 
 the second image processing includes image enhancement processing for enhancing an image with second intensity different from the first intensity for the second captured image. 
 
     
     
       5. The medical image processing apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the second intensity is lower than the first intensity. 
     
     
       6. The medical image processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein in the memory,
 in the first observation mode, the first captured image whose total number of pixels is a first number of pixels is written into the first memory area, and 
 in the second observation mode, when a number of the image processing circuits is N, the first captured image and the second captured image, after thinning processing in which a total number of pixels is set to a second number of pixels equal to or less than 1/N of the first number of pixels, are written into the second memory area and the third memory area, respectively. 
 
     
     
       7. The medical image processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 in the second observation mode, the circuitry is configured to alternately acquire the first captured image and the second captured image in a time division manner, and 
 in the second observation mode, the circuitry is configured to alternately write the first captured image and the second captured image into the second memory area and the third memory area in a time division manner, and at a timing at which writing of one of the first captured image and the second captured image is started, simultaneously reads another one that has already been written, of the first captured image and the second captured image, and the one that has just been written from the second memory area and the third memory area. 
 
     
     
       8. The medical image processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein, in the second observation mode, the circuity is configured to write an entire first captured image and an entire second captured image into the second memory area and the third memory area. 
     
     
       9. The medical image processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein, in the second observation mode, the plurality of image processing circuits thin out the first captured image. 
     
     
       10. The medical image processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein, in the second observation mode, the plurality of image processing circuits thin out the second captured image. 
     
     
       11. The medical image processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein, in the second observation mode, the plurality of image processing circuits thin out the first captured image and the second captured image. 
     
     
       12. The medical image processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein a total number of pixels in the first captured image and in the second captured image of the second observation mode is less than or equal to the total number of pixels in the first captured image of the first observation mode. 
     
     
       13. A medical observation system comprising:
 a light source that emits light in a first wavelength band and excitation light in a second wavelength band different from the first wavelength band; 
 an image sensor that generates a first captured image by capturing light from an observation target that emits fluorescence when irradiated with the excitation light and is irradiated with light in the first wavelength band, and generates a second captured image by capturing the fluorescence from the observation target irradiated with the excitation light; 
 a memory that temporarily stores an image; 
 circuitry configured to: 
 acquire a first captured image obtained by capturing light from an observation target that emits fluorescence when irradiated with excitation light in a second wavelength band different from a first wavelength band and is irradiated with light in the first wavelength band; 
 acquire a second captured image obtained by capturing the fluorescence from the observation target irradiated with the excitation light; 
 switch between a first observation mode and a second observation mode; and 
 control writing of an image into the memory and reading of an image from the memory; and 
 a plurality of image processing circuits that execute image processing in parallel on each input image, wherein the circuitry is configured to 
 in the first observation mode, writes the first captured image into a first memory area in the memory, reads a plurality of divided images obtained by dividing the first captured image into a number corresponding to a number of the image processing circuits from a plurality of divided areas in the first memory area, respectively, in which the plurality of divided images is written, respectively, and outputs the plurality of divided images to the plurality of image processing circuits, respectively, and 
 in the second observation mode, writes the first captured image and the second captured image into a second memory area and a third memory area, respectively, each having a same memory capacity as a memory capacity of each of the divided areas in the memory, reads the first captured image and the second captured image from the second memory area and the third memory area, respectively, and outputs the first captured image and the second captured image into two image processing circuits of the plurality of image processing circuits, respectively. 
 
     
     
       14. A medical observation system comprising:
 a memory that temporarily stores an image; 
 circuitry configured to: 
 acquire a first captured image obtained by capturing light from an observation target that emits fluorescence when irradiated with excitation light in a second wavelength band different from a first wavelength band and is irradiated with light in the first wavelength band; 
 acquire a second captured image obtained by capturing the fluorescence from the observation target irradiated with the excitation light; and 
 switch between a first observation mode and a second observation mode; and 
 a plurality of image processing circuits that execute image processing in parallel on each input image, wherein 
 in the first observation mode,
 the circuitry is configured to output a plurality of divided images of the first captured image to the plurality of image processing circuits, respectively, and 
 the plurality of image processing circuits execute image processing in parallel on the plurality of divided images, and 
 
 in the second observation mode,
 the circuitry is configured to output the first captured image and the second captured image into two image processing circuits of the plurality of image processing circuits, and 
 the two image processing circuits execute image processing in parallel on the first captured image and the second captured image respectively, 
 wherein a total number of pixels in the first captured image and in the second captured image of the second observation mode is less than or equal to a total number of pixels in the first captured image of the first observation mode. 
 
 
     
     
       15. The medical observation system according to  claim 14 , wherein the circuitry is configured to,
 in the first observation mode, write the first captured image into a first memory area in the memory, reads the plurality of divided images obtained by dividing the first captured image into a number corresponding to a number of the image processing circuits from a plurality of divided areas in the first memory area, respectively, in which the plurality of divided images is written, respectively, and 
 in the second observation mode, write at least one part of the first captured image and at least one part of the second captured image into a second memory area and a third memory area, respectively, each having a same memory capacity as a memory capacity of each of the divided areas in the memory, read the first captured image and the second captured image from the second memory area and the third memory area, respectively, and output the first captured image and the second captured image into two image processing circuits of the plurality of image processing circuits, respectively. 
 
     
     
       16. The medical observation system according to  claim 14 , wherein, in the second observation mode, the plurality of image processing circuits thin out the first captured image. 
     
     
       17. The medical observation system according to  claim 14 , wherein, in the second observation mode, the plurality of image processing circuits thin out the second captured image. 
     
     
       18. The medical observation system according to  claim 14 , wherein, in the second observation mode, the plurality of image processing circuits thin out the first captured image and the second captured image.